Soapbox Productions was formed in January 1990 from a partnership of Pat Ferns and Nick Orchard. Both brought to Soapbox an extensive background in drama and TV series production, and their first project was four seasons of the acclaimed teen drama “Northwood”, an international co-production with the CBC and Sweden’s Sveriges Television. “Northwood” won numerous awards including the Silver Medal from the New York Festivals, the award of excellence from the Alliance for Children and Television and several Chris Awards.

Nick acquired sole ownership of the company in 1993, producing and directing two seasons of the popular astronomy series “Cosmic Highway” for the Discovery Channel, winning multiple Leo Awards and a Gemini nomination. In 1997 the company began three seasons of “Double Exposure” for CTV and the Comedy Network. This series was a multiple Gemini Award nominee and winner of the Golden Sheaf Award and the Gold Camera Award from the International Film and Television Festival. This was followed by “Life on the Vertical” for Discovery Channel, “Shadow Warrior; The David McTaggart Story” for CBC, “Happy Birthday Blues; John Baldry in Concert” for CHUM/Bravo, “Cosmic Odyssey”, a documentary series for Discovery Channel narrated by William Shatner, and “The Great Race”, a reality series for CTV. Soapbox also produced the award-winning “O.Com; Cybersex Addiction” for the CBC

The company has expanded significantly over the last few years, with two “New Beachcombers” MOWs for the CBC, “Shakin’ All Over”, a history of Canadian rock for CBC, and the sequels “This Beat Goes On” and “Rise Up”, along with three seasons of “Head’s Up!” a children’s astronomy series for TVO featuring Bob McDonald. For CBC’s “Life & Times” Soapbox delivered a 3-hour history of the comedy group Second City, while producing three seasons of the series “On Screen”, for CHUM/Bravo, the travel series “Island Escapes” and “What Were They Thinking” for CTV, “In the Shadow of the Blues”, a biography of Long John Baldry for CHUM/CTV and the BBC and the series pilot “Tales of an Urban Indian” for APTN. Recently delivered are the documentaries “Magical Mystery Cures” and “Life Is a Highway”, both for the CBC.

In active development is the gripping western mini-series “The McLean Boys”, a UK co-production with TMN and Movie Central and “Notorious Women of the Bible”, a documentary series for Vision Network.